Invert Pics

[shoreliner11]

Here's some pics of some inverts I took this weekend up at Friday Harbor Labs in the San Juan Islands.
Pic 1- a cuttlefish...not sure of the genus sp.
Pic 2- a closeup of the cuttlefish's chromatophores, he wasn't very happy being in the dish
Pic 3- A Archidoris montereyensis nudibranch
Pic 4- There's actually a lot going on in this pic. The round thing is a colonial tunicate, the branching coral like organism is actually a bryozoan, which is related to corals. There is also an unknown arthropod which looks to be guarding some eggs but I'm not sure.
Pic 5- I believe this is Dermasterias imbricata or a Leather Star. Maybe Upiura can help me on this and some of the other pics.

 

[f1shman]

you a marine biologist or what

 

[shoreliner11]

Pic 6- Unknown starfish
Pic 7- A Rose Star Crossaster papposus
Pic 8-10 - Pics of an unknown serpent star

 

[shoreliner11]

In the making actually. I am at the University of Washington studying marine biology. This was a field trip for one of my classes.
Here's my last two pics.
Pic11- an unkown starfish again
Pic 12- some sea cucumbers

 

[f1shman]

how much do marine biologists make around? moeny isn't my largest priority but i'd like to have a nice paying job, and have always been intrested in that.

 

[exile415]

nice pictures -! thanks for sharkikng

 

[shoreliner11]

They make alright money. After your masters if you get a job with a university you'd start around the low 30k from what I'm told. Obviously higher if you get a phd but not too many people want to go through that much school.

 

[f1shman]

i've heard after your in it for a while the average is the high $80,000s or higher. lol i did a report on it for school a while ago. I think it would be so much fun, and i want to have ajob i like, but i also want a job that can support me. Going out and collecting htat kind of stuff must have been tons of fun!!! You ever been to Turks & Caicos? amazing island near bahams, 10 feet in the water and ur near coral and wrasses etc..

 

[shoreliner11]

Yeah, I'm with you on having a job I like. Never been to Turks and Caicos but I am going to Townsville, Australia in February for 5 months to study abroad. The university is called James Cook University and the great barrier reef is off the coast from there. I can't think of a better place to study marine biology.
Regarding the organisms we caught, we actually put a dredging net in the water. It stays close to the bottom and grabs a wide variety of life. We got a small dogfish which was cool, several flounder, hundreds of shrimp (they were pretty long 6inchers or so), cucumbers, nudibranchs, and hundreds of scallops. It was amazing seeing some of these organisms close up which before now I've only seen in local aquariums.
Aaron

 

[f1shman]

you gonna put any in your fish tank? h*

 

[shoreliner11]

No, they're all cold water species. Most people would be surprised that most coldwater species are just as colorful as tropical species. I'd like to set up a coldwater tank in the future but I don't have the money at the moment. The water they come from is about 50degrees f.
Aaron

 

[nm reef]

Very interesting set of pics...thanks for sharing them...and best of luck with your studies.

 

[ophiura]

Yup :yes: cold water beasts. VERY NICE PICS!
So, some seastar IDs:
1) Correct ID - Dermasterias imbricata - leather star
2) Solaster stimpsoni - Stimpsons Sun star
3) Correct ID - Crossaster papposus - Common Sun Star or Rose Star
4) Ophiuroid - Ophiopholis aculeata - daisy brittlestar
5) Possible - Henricia leviuscula - blood star
6) Perhaps - Parastichopus californicus - california sea cucumber
LOL, and I can paint a far less rosey picture of marine biologists. There are quite a few PhD marine biologists and very few university positions all in all. There are lots and lots of marine biologists out there. :yes: Lots and lots of competition for very very few jobs.

 

[shoreliner11]

First of all thanks for the Id's ophiura for the id's. I know it'll probably be a lot of work to get a marine biology job. Hopefully when the time comes when I'm done with my masters I'll be lucky enough to get one of those jobs. Thanks again
Aaron

 

[nomad]

Wonderful pictures and ids, too. Thanks for sharing cold with us.

 

[reefman22]

what kind of things do marine biologists do? (specific jobs) im lookin into doing that

 

[f1shman]

I think they can work at public aquariums or work in labs researching different species.

 

[reefman22]

o like cleaning aquariums? what else do they do?

 

[f1shman]

or like researching at an aquarium the specimens that they have in the tanks and tnaking care of them. Or maybe one of those dolphin trainers etc..

 

[reefman22]

oo ok what i want to do is go scuba divin and find stuff and bring it back and "examine" it from the outside of my reef tank lol no but seriously i would like to dive and get stuff and research it and stuff is that marine bio? :thinking: